1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to marine winches, and more particularly, to seals arranged within that winch to minimize water infiltration.
2. Prior Art
Marine winches such as may be found on sailing craft, working or utility boats or the like, are used to adjust lines or halyards, often under heavy loads. Such marine winches, which are sophisticated mechanical devices, are subject to exposure of sea elements, such as salt water, wind, rain and ice. A winch typically comprises a base element mounted at an appropriate location on a deck or surface structure of a boat. A winch typically comprises a vertically oriented drum which is usually manually energized by means of a crank operated gear train acting upon a drive shaft. A drive shaft is journalled and is fixedly connected to the drum, as by means of a splined shaft connection. Such a crank operated gear train is typically of the reduction gear type, and comprises a number of output speeds or mechanical advantages which may be selected by the user through the intermittent retrograde motion of the crank. The vertically oriented drum, which encloses the reduction gear mechanism therewithin, has a spool arranged therearound. The spool accepts multiple coils of line, to handle the sails of the boat or to pull a load.
Frequent use of such a winch in a hazardous marine environment, exposes that winch to the hazards of salt water and the like as aforementioned. The effects of salt water and its resultant corrosion and clogging effect, requires frequent disassembly, cleaning and maintenance of such marine winches exposed thereto.
It is an object of the present invention, to provide a marine winch arrangement, which minimizes the intrusion of water into the central workings of a marine winch.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a marine winch assembly by which salt water and environmental intrusion is minimized in a most economical and efficient manner.
It is yet still further object of the present invention, to provide a seal and drain arrangement for a vertically oriented marine winch, which seal arrangement requires minimal machine and secondary attachments to effect the purposes of this invention.